According to the affidavits, Polk County authorities were alerted to allegations of child abuse earlier this month. The allegations were that nine minor children between the ages of 7 and 13 were possibly being disciplined by their guardians with a handheld stun gun device, the sheriff's office said.

The Department of Children and Families removed two of the children from the home due to the allegations, according to the affidavits. “Patterned bruises and burns” were observed on an 11-year-old and 8-year-old, including multiple “two-prong” burns on both children’s buttocks.

An advanced registered nurse practitioner determined after a medical examination of these two children last week that the injuries were the result of physical abuse, officials said. One child was found to have 15 burns over his buttocks that were consistent with a stun gun, according to the affidavits.

The children told detectives that they had been “tased” several times by Vazquez and Torres, officials said. While the children said Tarvin had never harmed them, they told detectives she knew they were being “tased” and never tried to stop it. The children told detectives that Vazquez and Torres had “tased” other children, as well.

Investigators said Tarvin initially denied the allegation that any children were being harmed, saying the injuries must have occurred somewhere else.

After getting permission to check children for injuries, detectives said they found the same “two-prong” marks on five other children consistent with the injuries of the two children who were medically examined.

During the investigation, Torres told detectives that he had a Taser and that the children had gotten a hold of it and used it on each other. But eventually, the affidavit said, Torres told detectives that he had originally lied and that he and Vazquez had been using the Taser for the past two to three weeks to discipline the children.

During a post-Miranda interview, authorities said, both Torres and Vazquez separately told detectives they made the male children do push-ups and used the Taser on the ones who couldn’t perform at least one push-up.

Both men told authorities they hid the Taser under a vacant home across the street before detectives arrived, the affidavits said.

In interviews with detectives, the female suspects said they were both aware of the abuse but never tried to stop it for fear the children would be taken away, according to the affidavits.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the four adults live in the same home on Skye Place in Lakeland; Vazquez is dating Tarvin, and Torres is dating Sanchez.

The men are each being held on bail set at more than $450,000, and Tarvin’s bail was set at $544,000. Sanchez is being held on bail set at $62,000.